PLEASANTON  What birthday would be complete without a song? And to help celebrate 100 years of the Boy Scouts of America, hundreds of packs and troops obliged Friday with their own version.

Scouts from throughout Northern California kicked off the Northern California 100th Anniversary Jamboree opening ceremony with their own chant at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Members from as far south as Yosemite to as far north as the Oregon border belted out:

"We got spirit, yes we do. We got spirit, how about you?" The chant grew in volume and enthusiasm as it snaked its way from one end of the bandstand to the next.

This jamboree will be the largest 100th anniversary Scout gathering in the state.

"We are going to explore, get some ice cream and see what suits our fancy," said Adnan Hamwi, a member of Troop 493 from Cupertino. "This is the Boy Scouts version of a carnival."

The three-day celebration features exhibits, interactive demonstrations, food and shows and is meant to celebrate the history of the Boys Scouts in America. It is where tents and teepees comfortably mix with corn dog and lemonade booths.

An expected 16,750 people preregistered for the event, but organizers expect possibly thousands more to show up over the weekend, said Ken Mehlhorn, Scout executive/CEO of the San Francisco Bay Area Council.

About 2,000 Scouts arrived and pitched their tents Thursday night. About 8,000 attending Scouts are expected to be camped at the fairgrounds this weekend.

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